Psychedelics as therapies to reduce opioid use

Simon Fraser University (SFU) researchers have found that recent psychedelic use was associated with 55 percent reduced odds of daily opioid use.

In the first longitudinal study of its kind, SFU researches Kora DeBeck and Kanna Hayashi have found that recent psychedelic use was associated with 55 percent reduced odds of daily opioid use. These findings add to growing knowledge and interest in the use of psychedelics—such as psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca and others—in addition to counselling for harm reduction and treatment of substance use disorders.

DeBeck and Hayashi collaborated with researchers from the University of British Columbia and the BCCSU to follow 3800 participants over 12 years who reported on their use of opioids as well as their use of various psychedelics. The research team published their findings, Psychedelic use is associated with reduced daily opioid use among people who use illicit drugs in a Canadian setting, in a recent issue of the International Journal of Drug Policy.

While more studies are needed to investigate and understand the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, these findings point towards novel and holistic treatments for substance use disorders.